Dust collecting container for a hand-held machine tool

ABSTRACT

A dust-collection container ( 11 ) for a hand-held power tool with a dust-extraction device is indicated that has a container wall that encloses a dust-collection volume and a dust-intake opening ( 19 ) for connection to a dust-discharge adapter of hand-held power tools. To ensure timely emptying of the full dust-collection container ( 11 ) when working with the hand-held power tool, a viewing window ( 21 ) is provided in the container wall, through which the dust fill level can be visually determined.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The present invention is directed to a dust-collection container for ahand-held power tool that has a dust-extraction device according to thedefinition of the species in claim 1.

A known hand-held power tool designed as a finishing sander (DE 199 24547 A1) has a dust-extraction device integrated in its housing, thedust-extraction device having a dust-discharge adapter formed on thehousing. A dust-proof dust-collection container for collecting sandingdust—also referred to as a dust box—is detachably connected via itsintake adapter to the dust-discharge adapter. The dust-collectioncontainer has a two-part design and includes a collection box and acover that closes it from above, the cover being detachably connected tothe collection box. To obtain the greatest possible volumetric capacityof the dust-collection container, a large number of air-exit openings isprovided in the cover, the air-exit openings being covered by a dustfilter located on the underside of the cover. To empty thedust-collection container, it is removed from the hand-held power tool,the intake adapter leading into the collection box being pulled off ofthe dust-discharge adapter. After the cover is opened, the collectionbox can be emptied.

When sanding work pieces, the dust-collection container becomesincreasingly filled with the sanding dust produced. Its ability to takeon more dust decreases continually and, as the suction decreases as aresult, more and more sanding dust is released to the surroundings,which becomes increasingly more unpleasant for the operator. With beltsanders, the problem also arises that, due to the very large amount ofmaterial removed, the dust collection container fills up very quicklyand, as a result, the operator usually does not notice that the dustcollection container has become too full until the dust-ejection adapterand other dust-transporting ducts in the device have become clogged. Thehand-held power tool must then be taken apart to be cleaned.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

The dust-collection container according to the present invention for ahand-held power tool having the features of claim 1 has the advantagethat the operator can determine the fill level growing in thedust-collection container at any time by looking through the viewingwindow and, when a fill level is reached that still allows for optimumdust extraction, the operator can empty the dust-collection container.

Due to the measures listed in the further claims, advantageous furtherdevelopments and improvements of the dust-collection container describedin claim 1 are made possible.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, theviewing window is located in a wall section of the container walldiametrically opposed to the wall section with the intake adapter. Theviewing window is preferably located in the region of increased flow, sothat the window is largely blown clean. It is advantageous thatmaterials having a low tendency toward static discharge are used for thedust-collection container. A transparent cover, e.g., made of modifiedpolypropylene, is preferably inserted as the viewing window in acorresponding window opening in the container wall.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, thecontainer wall has two end faces, on one of which the dust-intakeopening in located, and two longitudinal sides, in one of which theviewing window is located. The viewing window is preferably locatedclose to the end face of the container wall in which the dust-intakeopening is located. With this arrangement it is possible to detect thefill level of the dust-collection container at any time, when holdingthe hand-held power tool horizontally, i.e., when machining horizontalsurfaces, and when the hand-held power tool is held vertically, i.e.,when machining vertical surfaces.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, fillingmarks are provided in the viewing window that indicate a recommendedmaximum fill level of the dust-collection container.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, two filling marksarranged at right angles to each other and designed as a line, forexample, are provided, so that the quantity of dust collected in thedust-collection container can be determined during operation incomparison with the maximum permissible fill quantity when the hand-heldpower tool is held horizontally or vertically.

DRAWING

The present invention is described in greater detail in the descriptionbelow with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing.

FIG. 1 Shows a hand-held power tool with a dust-collection containerattached thereto and shown in a longitudinal cross section,

FIG. 2 Shows a perspective depiction of a front view of thedust-collection container in the direction of arrow 11 in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 Shows a side view of the dust-collection container in FIG. 1 witha modified viewing window.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a hand-held power tool 10 designed as a finishing sanderwith an attached dust-collection container 11, also referred to as adust box. The hand-held power tool has a housing 12 that includes ahandle 13 with switch 14 for turning hand-held power tool 10 on and off.A sanding tool 15 designed as a sanding disc with through openings ismovably attached to the bottom of housing 12. Hand-held power tool 10has an integrated dust-extraction device that includes a fan wheel 16rotating in housing 12, a dust duct 17 leading away from fan wheel 16,and a dust-discharge adapter 18 into which dust duct 17 leads. Duringoperation, fan wheel 16 rotating above sanding tool 15 produces a vacuumbetween sanding tool 15 and a work piece. As a result, sanding dust issuctioned through the through openings of the sanding tool and isdischarged via dust duct 17 and dust-discharge adapter 18.

To capture the sanding dust, dust-collection container 11 is detachablyconnected to hand-held power tool 10. To this end, a dust-intake adapter20 of dust-collection container 11 that encloses dust-intake opening 19is slid onto dust-discharge adapter 18 on housing 12 of hand-held powertool 10.

Nondeformable dust-collection container 11 is shown in FIG. 1 in alongitudinal sectional view, in FIG. 2 in a perspective front view, andin FIG. 3 in a somewhat modified form in a side view. Dust-collectioncontainer 11 has a container wall that encloses a dust-collectionvolume. The container wall includes dust-intake opening 19 in a wallsection, the dust-intake opening 19 being enclosed by dust-dischargeadapter 18, and a viewing window 21 at a distance therefrom, throughwhich the quantity of dust filling the dust-collection volume at thatmoment can be visually determined.

With the exemplary embodiment of dust-collection container 11 accordingto FIGS. 1 and 2, the section of the container wall in which viewingwindow 21 is located is diametrically opposed to the wall section ofdust-collection container 11 diametrically opposed to dust-intakeopening 19. Viewing window 21 is located in the region of increased airflow in the interior of dust-collection container 11 so that viewingwindow 21 is blown clear. The container wall is made of a material thathas a low tendency toward static discharge. The viewing window 21 can berealized, e.g., by inserting a transparent cover made of modifiedpolypropylene into a corresponding window opening in the section of thecontainer wall.

In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3, viewing window 21 is located inone of two longitudinal sides of the container wall, viewing window 21being located in the longitudinal side such that it is located as closeas possible to the front side of the container wall that has dust-intakeopening 19.

In both exemplary embodiments, dust-collection container 11 has atwo-part design and has a collection box 22 that is closed by a cover 23on its top side. Cover 23 is attached fixedly and tightly in anon-positive and form-fit manner via a snap-in edge 231 to the upperedge of collection box 22 such that it overlatches in a resilientmanner, and has a hook 24 that extends upward. Dust-collection container11 can also be attached to housing 12 of hand-held power tool 10 byinserting hook 24 in a retaining opening 25 located in housing 12 and,in fact, in the rear region of handle 14 when dust-intake adapter 20 isslid onto dust-discharge adapter 18 on housing 12 of hand-held powertool 10 (FIG. 1). Bottom 221 of collection box 22 is tilted relative tothe axis of dust-intake adapter 20, so that collection box 22 has acontour with a wedge-shaped longitudinal cross section that taperstoward dust-intake adapter 20. Cover 23 has a large number ofair-passage openings 26 (FIGS. 1 and 2), in front of which a filterelement 27 made of special paper is located, on the inside of cover 23.In the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2, viewing window 21 islocated in front wall 222 of collection box 22, front wall 222 beingdiametrically opposed to front wall 223 of collection box 22 that isdiametrically opposed to dust-intake opening 19. The fold lamella offilter element 27 can be seen in viewing window 21 in FIG. 2. A fillingmark 28 designed as a transverse line and located in viewing window 21indicates a recommended maximum fill quantity in collection box 22 thatensures that the integrated sanding dust suctioning device of hand-heldpower tool 10 can still adequately suction the sanding dust.

Dust-collection container 11 shown as a side view in FIG. 3 is modifiedcompared to dust-collection container 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 only interms of the arrangement of viewing window 21. Viewing window 21 islocated in a side wall 224 of collection box 22 close to front wall 223in which dust-intake opening 19 is located. Two filling marks 29, 30located at a right angle to each other are provided in viewing window21, one filling mark 29 of which indicates the recommended maximumquantity when dust-collection container 11 is oriented horizontally, andfilling mark 30 indicating the recommended maximum fill quantity whendust-collection container 11 is oriented vertically. In the exemplaryembodiment in FIG. 3, both filling marks 29, 30 are designed as linesthat extend parallel to a window edge at a close distance. Filling mark29 extends close to long window edge 21.1 at the top whendust-collection container 11 is in the horizontal position, and fillingmark 30 extends close to front, shorter window edge 212 close todust-intake adapter 20.

In a further exemplary embodiment of dust-collection container 11,viewing window 21 is formed by an entire side wall of collection box 22made of transparent material.

In an alternative embodiment of dust-collection container 11, entirecollection box 22 is made of transparent material, so that the dustlevel can be determined visually from all sides.

In a further alternative embodiment of dust-collection container 11, thecontainer wall and/or collection box 22 are made of a transparentmaterial with a milky-opaque surface. Viewing window 21 is then formedby a recess in the milky-opaque surface.

1. A dust-collection container for a hand-held power tool (10) with adust-extraction device, with a container wall that encloses adust-collection volume and a dust-intake opening (19) provided in thecontainer wall for connection to a dust-discharge adapter (18) of thehand-held power tool (10), wherein a viewing window (21) is located inthe container wall.
 2. The dust-collection container as recited in claim1, wherein the viewing window (21) is located in a wall section of thecontainer wall that is diametrically opposed to the wall section inwhich the dust-intake opening (19) is located.
 3. The dust-collectioncontainer as recited in claim 1, wherein the container wall has two endfaces, in one of which the dust-intake opening (19) is located, and twolongitudinal sides, in one of which the viewing window (21) is located.4. The dust-collection container as recited in claim 3, wherein theviewing window (21) in the longitudinal side of the container wall islocated close to the end face of the container wall with the dust-intakeopening (19).
 5. The dust-collection container as recited in one of theclaims 1-4, wherein at least one filling mark (28) is provided in theviewing window (21) that indicates a recommended maximum fill level inthe dust-collection volume.
 6. The dust-collection container as recitedin claim 3 or 4, wherein two filling marks (29, 30) located at a rightangle to each other are provided in the viewing window (21), one ofwhich indicates a recommended maximum fill level when thedust-collection container is oriented substantially horizontal, and theother of which indicates a recommended maximum fill level when thedust-collection container is oriented substantially vertically.
 7. Thedust-collection container as recited in claim 6, wherein the viewingwindow (21) is right-angled and the filling marks (29, 30) are formed bytwo lines extending in parallel to one, window edge (211, 212) each, oneline of which extending close to the long window edge (211) at the topwhen the dust-collection container is oriented vertically, and the otherline extending close to the front, short window edge (212) pointingclose to the dust-intake opening (19).
 8. The dust-collection containeras recited in one of the claims 1-7, wherein the container wall is madeof transparent material with a milky-opaque surface, and the viewingwindow (21) is a recess in the milky-opaque surface.
 9. Thedust-collection container as recited in one of the claims 1-8,characterized by a two-part design composed of a collection box (22) anda cover (23) that closes it, and by the fact that the dust-intakeopening (19) and the viewing window (21) are located in the wall of thecollection box (22).
 10. The dust-collection container as recited inclaim 9, wherein the viewing window (21) is formed by a side wall (224)of the collection box (22), the side wall being made of a transparentmaterial.
 11. The dust-collection container according to the definitionof the species in claim 1, wherein the container wall is made of atransparent material.
 12. The dust-collection container as recited inclaim 11, characterized by a two-part design composed of a collectionbox (22) and a cover (23) that closes it, and by the fact that thecollection box (22) is made of the transparent material.